Challengers for two seats on the Citrus College Board of Trustees want the district to focus more on student achievement.

Bruce Carter is challenging incumbent Joanne Montgomery for Seat 5 on the board, while Tracy Rickman is looking to take Sue Keith’s spot in Seat 2.

Rickman, who teaches part time at Citrus College as an adjunct professor, said recent decisions by the board have been centered on administration and construction, not on students.

“In my opinion, they are not student focused as much as they say they are,” Rickman said. “Administrators are the fifth highest paid in the state. At the same time we are cutting classes. I think that needs to be looked at.”

Keith defended her work and said she is focused on student success, but as board members it is their job to judge what the school is doing and not to dictate curriculum.

“As a board member, I am not there to tell faculty what they should or shouldn’t do,” Keith said. “I am not there to stifle innovation should it come through faculty and administration.”

Montgomery agreed with her fellow incumbent Keith.

“We are the policy makers,” she said. “Classes are up to staff.”

Carter and Montgomery have known each other for years and are amicable rivals in the election. Montgomery even taught Carter’s children in the Monrovia School District.

Carter said he expected Montgomery to not seek re-election and had already decided he wanted to run.

Still, the two disagree on the school’s ability to make the most of the money it has and how to get more funds.

Carter insists on attracting more international students to Citrus College to help bring in additional funding.

Montgomery and Keith said the school was already maxed on its international student attendance.

“We also have to measure … our certain obligations to our communities,” Montgomery said. “We have a huge international program, but it has to be balanced.”

Carter said the school, and community colleges in general, can do more to graduate and transfer students.

“We have a large number of students at our two-year colleges who aren’t focused and don’t graduate,” Carter said. “We could easily help more people get degrees … let’s catch up with the rest of the world.”

While the board has accomplished a lot with construction, Rickman said it needs to be more innovative when it sets policy for education standards.

“It can be done,” he said. “It seems to me because that board and board members have been there so long, I think you need a fresh look at where we are really spending our money.”

Montgomery said faculty respect the board’s work and has endorsed the incumbents.

Keith and Montgomery both questioned any lofty goals presented by either challenger because state funding has inhibited the college’s ability to be flexible.

At the same time, they said the school has worked to increase its funding by applying for grants.

Daniel Tedford is the Assistant Managing Editor of Digital News. He graduated from Cal Poly Pomona and has been working in journalism since 2008. During that time, he has sat next to a Pulitzer Prize winner, been interviewed by Robert Siegel about a faux Temple City army with a 'supreme commander' and accidentally interviewed a Hollywood movie director about Little League baseball. When not working, he's an avid Los Angeles Angels fan, cooks a mean roast chicken and has read every Kurt Vonnegut novel. He also fancies himself an expert in the best sandwiches in the San Gabriel Valley, if anyone ever cares to ask.